Garbage pickup may decline

If you like your garbage pickup, and if you live in Thurston County, Lacey or Tumwater, then you may be in for a surprise.

The Thurston County Solid Waste Advisory Committee has been informed that garbage pickup in those areas may go from weekly – to every other week.

According to Terri Thomas, an education and outreach specialist with Thurston County Solid Waste, the county is doing a survey to see if people would be interested in having their garbage picked up less often. 

Thomas said the county just wants to see what people think about bi-monthly pickup as well as other recycling ideas.

“The trucks get 3 miles a gallon,” Thomas said, “and they’re in our neighborhoods every day.   We might be able to reduce the carbon footprint if we can reduce the number of days the trucks are used.”

If the county goes to every other week garbage pickup it might mean some reduction in cost.   “We haven’t run the numbers yet,” Thomas said, “but we don’t think the savings would be half, but they could be substantial in the overall costs.”

Residents in the affected areas can have their say by going to wheredoitakemy.org and filling out the survey.   The survey will be open until October.

“We really want to hear what the public thinks,” Thomas said.